Search results for ‘Subject term:"mental health problems"’ Sort:
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How included are mental health service users in decisions about their medication?
- Author:
- HOLTTUM Sue
- Journal article citation:
- Mental Health and Social Inclusion, 20(3), 2016, pp.141-148.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to consider four recent articles relating to how included service users are in decision making about their medication in mental health services. Design/methodology/approach: One article describes conversations between a psychiatrist and service users about medication. The second paper describes a study in which young people were supported with the aim of developing their confidence to challenge medication decisions. The third paper reports on interviews with both professionals and service users about medication decisions. The fourth paper presents a theory of how the wider context can affect medication decision making in mental health. Findings: The first paper shows how a psychiatrist can persuade service users to accept medication decisions. The second paper shows how some young people can challenge medication decisions if they have the right support. The third paper illustrates how both professionals and service users may doubt service users’ ability to decide about medication, and pessimistically suggests that shared decision making may be unrealistic. In contrast to this, the fourth paper offers hope of changing how mental health services are organised in order to enable service users to be more empowered about medication decisions. Originality/value: A model of shared decision making is being imported into mental health from physical health. These four papers illustrate problems with a simple transfer from physical to mental health. The present paper points to differences in apparent awareness of different clinical researchers of the need to tackle service users’ disempowerment in mental health care, showing how some researchers are tackling this. (Publisher abstract)
Rationing rationale
- Author:
- HIRST Judy
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 18.11.99, 1999, pp.22-23.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
Investigates suggestions that "clinical effectiveness" tests applied to new drugs for mental illnesses with fewer side effects are really jut another cost controlling strategy.
Ethical dilemmas of practicing social workers around psychiatric medication: results of a national study
- Authors:
- WALSH Joseph, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work in Mental Health, 1(4), 2003, pp.91-105.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
It is acknowledged that social workers in mental health and other settings routinely experience client-related ethical dilemmas. Describes the results of a national survey of practicing social workers in the USA regarding the nature of ethical dilemmas they face related to their work with clients on medication issues. The results make it clear that social workers regularly confront a variety of ethical dilemmas in this type of practice. Many of these dilemmas are related to ambiguities around the knowledge base of practice, appropriate roles of providers, and basic personal and professional values. Presents implications of these findings for social work practice and further research. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Findings from an online survey of family carer experience of the management of challenging behaviour in people with intellectual disabilities, with a focus on the use of psychotropic medication
- Authors:
- SHEEHAN Rory, et al
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 46(2), 2018, pp.82-91.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Background: There is relatively little published data that report the experiences and views of family carers of people with intellectual disabilities who display challenging behaviour who are prescribed psychotropic medication. Materials and methods: An online structured questionnaire was created by the Challenging Behaviour Foundation, a UK charity, and family carers of people with intellectual disability. Questions concerned the management of challenging behaviour and asked family carers about their experiences and views on the use of psychotropic medication. Responses were gathered between August and October 2016. Results are summarised using descriptive and inferential statistics and descriptive analysis of free‐text comments. Findings: Ninety‐nine family carers completed the survey. Family carers reported gaps in the holistic and proactive management of challenging behaviour. Whilst some felt involved in decisions around psychotropic medication prescribing, others described feeling marginalised and lacking information and influence. The decision to prescribe psychotropic medication evoked complex emotions in family carers and medication use was associated with mixed outcomes in those prescribed. Family carers identified areas of good practice and those areas where they believe improvements are needed. Conclusions: Psychotropic medication should be only one option in a multimodal approach to challenging behaviour, but this may not always be reflected in current practice. Greater effort needs to be made to ensure that services are equipped to provide optimum care and to embed shared decision‐making into routine practice. (Edited publisher abstract)
Perspectives: power to the people
- Author:
- COOTE Anna
- Journal article citation:
- Community Care, 18.11.99, 1999, p.12.
- Publisher:
- Reed Business Information
Argues that is time those suffering with mental illness, among others, had the power to influence tough choices, such as whether to supply new drugs on the NHS.